Himanta Biswa Sarma took over as the 15th chief minister of Assam at a low key ceremony in Guwahati on Monday, a day after he was picked over incumbent Sarbananda Sonowal to lead the BJP government in the state.

Sarma, the 52-year-old BJP star troubleshooter in northeast, was administered the oath of office by Governor Jagdish Mukhi at 12.05 pm. 

Before the oath ceremony, Sarma visited Doul Gobinda and Kamakhya temples.   

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Sarma, a former Supreme Court advocate, took over the reins of the state six years after quitting Congress over a succession war with then Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. The parting was bitter with public spats and showdowns. Sarma also hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after quitting the party.

Soon after he joined the BJP, Sarma was made convener of the North East Demoratic Alliance (NEDA), a BJP-led front of anti-Congress parties. After Assam, the BJP went on to form its first government in Manipur in 2017 despite the party not having a majority in elections. The credit for this was given to Sarma and his swift networking skills.

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His elevation to the Chief Ministers post is seen as a recognition of his contribution to the BJP’s growth in Assam and the northeast. It also is a reflection of his wide acceptance among the party MLAs and masses.

Indications of his promotion to the CM post came when the BJP did not go into the polls with a CM face. This raised speculation about the possible leadership change.

Sarma, who belongs to an Assamese Brahmin community, is married to  Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and has two children.